Romans 12

Romans 12:1 says: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will".  

My professor said today that as new creation people we should not be conformed to this world which is a reflex of Adam's sin. In Adam's realm there is sin, flesh, idolatry and wrong thinking. As Christians we are no longer in that realm so we are to behave in accordance with that. It is also a fact that the old age to which we belonged in our pre-Christian past still exerts influence on us, enticing us to follow its pattern of sinful and ungodly behavior. There will be a constant pressure from the old age and we are aware of that. Even though this pressure is a reality in our midst, there are new standards of living and behaviors that are commanded for us to obey. We learn in Romans that these are pleasing to God. A person that is in the Spirit is capable to think it out. Those who are transformed, should be trained to do what is right. 

Given that, we should have as a priority to focus on the renewing of the mind because that will allow us to do what is good and pleasing to God. We should not let the world squeeze us into the pattern that the present age provides. We are people of the new age living in the old age and it is natural for us to feel the pressure which does not mean that we will conform. The Apostle Paul has insisted that the heart and mind of people are in their natural state: full of evil and wickedness. What is required is that we become renewed in our hearts and minds. Our mind can think for itself about what pleases God. We are called to discern, think, learn and understand what God approves. New age people living the middle of the old age, recognize the pressure. We appreciate and understand the pressure. As thinking Christians, we should not rely on lists of behaviors, but engage in discerning, testing and approving proper expressions of worship. 

By the grace of God, we have a renewed mind to deal with the questions of our culture. We are a living sacrifice that has a renewed mind. Paul refers in Romans that the Torah was holy, righteous and good. What a blessing is to know that the Spirit of God is writing the law of God in our hearts, which is good, perfect and pleasing. God’s way of salvation has nothing to do with making people less than fully human. The gospel rehumanizes us. We become new creation through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel remakes our humanity so that we can grasp the totally of God. We can start living in our present age all that we believe that is yet to come.

As we grow in the knowledge of Christ and have our minds and hearts renewed in Him, true worship is one of the characteristics of the new human reality. We will naturally develop a new creation perspective about the things of this world and our own cultures. One of the reasons why God created us was so that we could be in charge of the world. He wants a true humanity to reflect his image. In Jesus Christ we are this new group of people that are called to oversee and govern the world and implement the new age. We need to take responsibility for God’s world. There are imperatives here. What are the areas in which we need to start implementing this new age that is here and yet to come? In Politics, Sciences, Marriage, Family, Parenting, Academia? Well, some food for thought.